Variable-speed mechanism for feeders connected in gangs



April 29 1924. S. SNYDER VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDERS CONNECTED IN GANGS Filed June 21, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 29 1924. 1,492,271

7 s. SNYDER VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDERS CONNECTED IN GANGS Filed June 21, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 29, 1924. 1,492,271 8. SNYDER VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDERS CONNECTED IN GANGS Filed June 21, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 Sheets Sheet 4 Wwiia gnuz'nl'oz attend;

' 5. SNYDER VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDERS CONNECTED IN GANGS Filed June 21, 1923 April 29 April 29, 1924. 1,492,271

s. SNYDER VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDERS CONNECTED IN GANGS Filed June 21. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 By m Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

sIMoN SNYDER, or MUNCY, rnNNsYLvANIa, AssIeNon To srnonr, WALIDRON & 00., or MUNCY, PENNSYLVANIA, A oonPonArio or PENNSYLVANIA.

VARIABLE-SPEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDERS CONNECTED I N' GANGS Application filed June 21, 1923. Serial No, 646,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SIMON SNYDER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Muncy,

in the county of Lycoming and State of.

Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements invariable-Speed Mechanism for Feeders Connected in Gangs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to mak and use the same. a

This invention relates to feeding and mixing machines which are used in flouring mills for feeding and mixing grain or other stock, and has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for regulating the feed in measured quantity of each of a group of machines all operated by the same driving shaft, so that each machine may be initially set to deliver a given or measured quantity of grain, all in the same proportion or in different proportions, each individual machine having associated therewith mechanism for changing its speed so as to increase or decrease the amount or quantity of grain or stock to be delivered thereby in greater or leSs quantity, as desired, either directly to a grinder or into a delivery spout or chute common to the entire group of machines, without affecting any other machine in the group, together with means associated with the first machine in the series whereby the speed of the entire group may b changed simultaneously to increase or decrease the quantity of grain discharged from each in dividual machine within a given period of time, without changing or affecting the proportion which it was initially set to deliver. In other words, each machine is provided with variable speed mechanism. independently adjustable so that the adjusting mechanism on each machine is first set to effect the discharge therefrom ofa given quantity of grain or stock at a given rate of speed, one machine delivering so many quarts or gallons to the minute, and another machine the same or a greater or less quantity, and so on throughout the entire group, while one of the machines is provided with variable speed mechanism that permits the speed of the entire group to be changed to cause them to feed a greater or less quantity in a given period of time, without changing the quantity or proportions to be deliveredby the individual machines; the desired change of speed of the group of machines being accomplished by the adjusting mechanism on one, preferably the first machine in the series, while a change of the proportions to be dc livered by the individual machines is accomplishedby mechanism on the individual machine whereby it may be caused to deliver the same quantity it was initially set to deliver, or a greateror less quantity, regardless of the quantity delivered by other machines in the series. 7

Variable speed mechanisms for feeders and other machines have heretofore been constructed, inwhich pawl and ratchet de vices are used for imparting rotary motion to the feeder-shaft, but on account of the lost motion, due to the fact that the pawl or dog must travel a distance equal to the length of a tooth in order toengage another tooth, and the further fact that a pawl or dog is liable, to slip past or skip a tooth, such pawl and ratchet devices are more or less unsatisfactory, ast-he effective propulsive force is intermittent rather than positive. and; continuous, as in the case of my improvement, and such devices are also noisy. To avoid lost motion, as far as possible, and reduce to aminimumthe time required for a pawl to travel the required distance for engagement with the next succeeding ratchet tooth in the series, it has been proposed to use several pawls of different lengths adapted to engage the teeth of'the ratchet wheel successively; one pawl being arranged to engage the next succeeding tooth in the series immediatelyafter disengagement of a preceding tooth by another pawl; as shown, for example, in Patent No. 887,785, dated May 19, 1908,andPatent No. 412,754, dated October 15, 1889.

Otherobjects of my invention are to provide more eflicient and reliable means for imparting rotary movement to a feedershaft than themeans heretofore ordinarily mployed for this purpose, and to overcome the objections incident to the use of pawl and ratchet devices in the class of machines to which my invention relates, and furthermore to accomplish the desired positive and continuous movement noiselessly and otherwise in a more satisfactory manner than is possible in using pawl and ratchet devices as heretofore in this class of machines.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to v be taken as'a part of this specification, and

then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a front'elevation of a group of feeding and mixing machines embodying my invention, parts thereof being broken away;

ig. 2 is a plan view of the first machine of'the group shown at the left hand side of F ig. 1; t

. ig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional elevation of on of the group of machines taken on a line about midway thereof;

Fig. 5 is perspective view of the first machine of the group, viewed from the left hand side thereof at the front; 7

. F'g. 6 isa perspective view of one of the group of machines viewed from the right hand side thereof at the rear;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the feeders detached;

' Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the plan view of a modified form ers; and

Fig. 14 is a detail view of the clutch shown in said modification.

Referring to said drawings, in which th same reference characters are used to denote corresponding parts in different views,

the'letters A, A and A denote aseries or group of feeders, or feeding and mixing machines, provided with suitable feeding devices B, each rotatably mounted on a driving shaft journaled in bearings provided therefor in a preferably metallic casing having an'inlet portion or hopper a at the top of the casing and an outlet portion or discharge a at the bottom or under side of the casing, said hopper and discharge being preferablylocated on opposite sides of the feeding device in a plane extending diagonally through its center. Said device consists preferably of a series of vanes or blades 5 radiating from'a hub portion fixed on a driving shaft G, and converging toward the center; said vanes being curved in the arc of a circle extending from said hub portion or center in the direction of rotation and the curved surfaces thereof facing the inlet and discharge openings to adapt the vanes to scoop up the material to be fed as the device or drum revolves and more easily fill the pockets between the vanes and to effect a gradual discharge of the material as the vanes approach successively the discharge end or outlet from the casing. The peripheral portions or outer edges of the vanes may extend substantially parallel with the shaft C, as shown in Fig. 7, or at an angle thereto, as shown in Fig. 10; the latter form being adapted to facilitate the 1511- ing of the pockets and the discharge of the material therefrom by coming into action at one end and continuing gradually toward the other end, so that the filling and discharging action of the vanes is spread over a larger surface'than with vanes parallel with the shaft, and the stock left in better condition for commingling with other grain or material discharged from other machines in the'group. .Each machine may beprovided with a spout 0. emptying into the casing mouth or hopper a and with a discharge'spout leading to a' common outlet, as shown in Fig' 1, for commingling or mixing the stock'as it is discharged from the group of machines or with separate discharge spouts for conducting the stock into separate receptacles, as indicated in dotted lines in said Fig. 1.

'Each machine has secured on a projecting end of its feeder shaft C a friction clutch 1) comprising a disk (5 keyed on and revoluble with the shaft, and having revolubly mounted thereon side plates (1 (Z having inwardly extending flanges d to which are pivoted spring-pressed dogs (Z adapted to contact at their outer ends with an overlying flange or peripheral portion of the disk d for imparting motion thereto alternately so as to propel the disk continuously in the same direction. Each of said side plates d has pivoted thereto one end of a connecting rod or bar, the other end of which is pivoted to a slidablyattached block 9 carried by an oscillating arm or lever E rising from the base of the machine at the front; said arm being-preferably secured to a laterally extending rod E mounted in suitable bearings provided therefor on the base of the machine and adapted by its oscillatory movements to impart a continuous rotary movement to the friction disk and through it to the feeder shaftby means of the connections between said sliding block and friction wheel hereinbefore described. Each of the oscillating'arms E is connected with an oscillating arm F, on a rock-shaft F for imparting movement thereto by a connecting bar or red f having one end pivoted to the arm F and the other end pivoted to the arm E at the upper ends thereof, said rock-shaft being journaled. in'bearings provided therefor on the bases of the several machines, at the rear thereof.

For imparting motion to shaft F and through it to the group of machines and simultaneously changing the speed of the entire group so as to feed a greater or less amount of stock in a given period of time, without affecting or changing the proportions which the individual machines are initially set to deliver, the oscillating arm on the first machine in the group, through which continuous motion is imparted to the friction clutch on the shaft of the feed wheel or drum, is connected by a rod or bar f with an oscillating arm F on the near end of the rock-shaft F the connec tion between the end of the connecting bar f and the oscillating arm on said first machine at the front thereof being adjustable along the length of the oscillating arm to vary the length or throw of said arm, by.

means of a sliding block G having lugs g, between which the end of the connecting rod is pivoted, and laterally projecting lugs 9 through which an adjusting screw H passes; said screw having screwed thereon, between said lugs 9 a nut 9 whereby rotation of the screw in a forward or backward direction will raise or lower the sliding block, and thus vary the length of the oscillating arm to increase or decrease the stroke or throw of said arm and correspondingly increase or decrease the speed of the feeders, causing the feed drum to rotate faster or more slowly, thereby adapting the machine to feed a greater or a'less quantity of material in a given period of time, according to the direction in which the adjusting screw is turned.

The main driving shaft I is journaled in suitable bearings provided therefor in the casing A of the first machine in the group and has a crank arm a at one end which is connected by a link i with the os cillating arm E for imparting oscillatory movement to said arm and through it to the oscillating arms on the shaft F, by which the individual feeders are actuated, said shaft I being provided with a band wheel or pulley K for imparting motion thereto by means of a belt or other means connecting with a power driven shaft, not shown.

7 The band wheel K may be loose on the shaft and provided with teeth or projections on a hub portion thereof for engagement with a clutch member 72 secured on the shaft by spline and groove connection so that the shaft may be thrown into and out of action as desired for stopping and start- .ing the machine, by means of a hand lever k pivoted on the machine frame or casing and having a forked end fitting within a arm F onthe rock-shaftF recesses a terial is discharged, as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4,7 and 10.

The machine at one end of the'groupcarrying the main driving shaft I may beldisplaced by a machine without a feeder, such as shown in Figs. 12 and 13' of the drawings, illustrating a modification in which there is a shaft I having a. crank-arm i connected' with the oscillating arm or lever E, by pitman rod 6 Said shaft I carries a gear wheel L inmesh with a pinion M on a main driving shaft I? having a band wheel 2' thereon for connection by means of a belt or'the like with a power shaft or machine, not shown. The oscillating, lever E has slidably secured thereto a block G on which are laterally projecting lugs, or ears g in which is fitted an adjusting screw H having a nut h screwedthereon and arranged between said ears 9 for raising and lowering the block G so as to increase, or decrease the length of the oscillating lever and thereby vary the stroke or throw ofsaid lever and correspondingly increase or decrease the speed of thefeedersthrough their connections with a rock-shaft F extending along the bases of the group of feeders and journaled in alined bearings thereon, as hereinbefore described. The block G isconnected by means of a rod or bar. 9* with an upright For the'purpose of starting andstopping the machine at will, I provide a clutch device on the main driving shaft which may consist of a slidable clutch member N keyed on the shaft so as to revolve therewith and having a hub portion recessed on opposite sides thereof,as at n, to receive projections n on the hub of the pulley or band wheel 2' which is loose on the shaft and adapted to be coupled thereto so as to revolve therewith by shifting said clutch member N into engagement therewith. For this purpose I provide a hand lever '0' having an oblong; slot 0 therein through whichprotrudes a stud or pinn on the hub of the slidable clutch member N, for moving the latter toward and from the band wheel. In order to lock the slidable clutch member on theshaft in engagement with the hub of the band wheel or disengaged therefrom, the shaft I may beprovided with a plurality of notches or (Fig. 14), to receive the end of a slidablepin or dog P which is housed in a socket in the slidable clutch member N and has a coiled spring ;0 on its stem which serves to force the pin into one or the other of said notches n and hold it in locked position. The end of the locking pin is preferably of wedge-shaped form transversely of the driving shaft and the notches n are similarly formed so that the pin will be held in frictional engagement with the shaft and normally hold the slidable clutch memher in locked position on the shaft, but will yield to pressure on the lever 0 so as to permit sidewise movement thereof for the purpose of engaging or disengaging the clutch member when it is desired tosta-rt or stop the machine.

Any suitable means may be employed for throwing the feeders into and out of action, as desired; a common expedient for this purpose being shown in Fig. 6, in which the pivotal connection between the oscillating arm F and the connecting rod or bar 7 is formed by providing a notch or recess on the underside ofthe connecting bar to receive the pivot pin on the oscillatingarm, thus permitting the two parts to be disconnected by merely raising the end of the connecting bar suificiently to release the pin. To this end the connecting bar may be extended past said pivotal connection so as to provide a handle f for raising said connecting bar.

As will be seen, the' vertically adjustable or slidable block e on the oscillating arm or lever E, at the front of the machine, is connected with oscillatory side plates ofthe clutch D by means of rods or bars which extend from said block in divergent lines to a point near the peripheries ofsaid plates, on opposite sides of the intermediate member of the clutch, and the outer ends of the spring-pressed pawls or dogs are adapted to alternately engage said intermediate clutch member in such manner that the instant one dog releases its hold or grip on the last named clutch member, the other dog will take hold or grip said member, so as to impart 4 a positive and continuous rotary motion to the feeder-shaft in one direction only, and avoid the lost motion incident to the use of a pawl and ratchet device and its liability to skip a tooth, thus insuring a positive and noiseless movement of the feeder-shaft continuously in the same direction.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination in a variable speed mechanism for feeders orfeeding and mixing machines connected in gangs, of a plurality of machines provided with feeding devices and having alined shaft-bearings thereon, one machine having a main driving shaft through which motion is imparted to the entire group, a rock-shaft journaled in said alined bearings and provided with an upright arm adjacent each machine, an up right oscillating lever having its lower end fulcrumed adjacent each machine at its base and at the side or end thereof opposite said rock-shaft, a connecting link pivoted atone end to a crank-arm on said driving'shaft and at the other end to an adjacent oscillating lever carrying a vertically adjustable block and means for adjusting said'block, a connecting rod or bar pivoted at one end to said block and at the other end to an upright arm on said rocl:shaft-, and variable speed mechanism for each feeder including connecting rods and an interposed friction clutch connecting tne oscillating lever adjacent thereto with thefeeder-shaft so as to impart positive and continuous rotary movement; said clutch comprising a rotary member adapted to impart continu ous rotary movement to said feeder-shaft in one direction only, and oscillatory members each provided with means for'frictionally engaging said rotary member and alternately impelling it in the same direction; said means being adapted to instantaneously throw one of said oscillatory members into action and the other out of action.

2. A variable speed mechanism for feeders or'feeding and mixing machines connected in gangs, comprising a plurality of machines provided with feeding devices and having alined shaft-bearings thereon, a

main driving'shaft'on one machine through which motion is imparted to the entire group, a roc eshaft journaled in said alined bearings and provided with an upright arm adjacent each machine, an upright oscillating lever fulcrumed adjacent each machine at the side or end thereof opposite said rockshaft, a connecting link pivoted at one end to acrank-arm on said main driving shaft and at the other end to an adjacent oscillating lever, said last named lever having a vertically adjustable block and a screw for adjusting said block mounted thereon, a connecting rod or bar pivoted at one end to said block and at the other end to an upright arm on said rock-shaft; and variable speed mechanism for each feeder mountedon the oscillating lever adjacent thereto and connected with the feeder-shaft by means of a friction clutch and pitmanrod connections, whereby continuous rotary movement is imparted to the feeder-shaft; said clutch comprising a rotary member adapted to impart continuous rotary movement to said feeder-shaft in one direction only, and oscillatory members each provlded with means for frlctionally engagingv All nected in gangs, comprising a group of machines provided with feeding devices and alined shaft-bearings, a main driving shaft on one machine through which motion is imparted to the entire group, a rock-shaft journaled in said alined bearings and provided with an upright arm adjacent each machine, an upright oscillating lever fulcrumed adjacent each machine at the side or end thereof opposite said rock-shaft a connecting link pivoted at one end to a crankarm on said driving shaft and at the other end to an oscillating lever adjacent thereto, the last named lever having a vertically adjustable block and a screw for adjusting said block mounted thereon, a connecting rod or bar pivoted at one end to said block and at the other end to an upright arm on said rock-shaft, and variable speed mechanism for each feeder including a sliding block and screw for adjusting said block carried by the oscillating lever adjacent the feeder, and means connecting the feedershaft with said block whereby continuous rotary movement is imparted to the feeding device; said means including a friction clutch on the feeder-shaft compris ing a disk fixed upon and revoluble with the shaft, oscillatory plates on opposite sides of said disk each having a spring-pressed dog or pawl pivoted thereto with itsufree end in frictional contact with the disk so as to impart motion thereto in one direction only; and connecting rods or bars each pivoted at one end to one of said side plates, one above and the other below the axis of the disk on opposite sides thereof, and having their other ends pivoted to the slidable block on the adjacent oscillating lever.

4:. The combination, in a variable speed mechanism for feeding and mixing machines connected in gangs, of a rock-shaft journaled in bearings provided therefor at the base of each machine in the gang and having upright arms thereon, one adjacent each machine, said machines each having fulcrumed thereon at the side or end thereof remote from said rock-shaft an oscillating lever, a main driving shaft on one machine having a crank-arm and a link connecting said crank-arm with an adjacent oscillating lever, a rod or bar connecting each oscillating lever with one of the arms on said rocksha-ft, a shaft carrying a feeding device journaled in the machine frame or casing and having a friction clutch thereon comprising a disk fixed upon and revolublc with the shaft, oscillatory plates on opposite sides of said disk each having pivoted thereto a spring-pressed dog or pawl the free end of which impinges upon an overlying flange or peripheral portion of said their so as to impart motion thereto by the movements of the plates in one direction only, connecting rods or bars pivoted at one end to a slidable block on an adjacent oscillating lever and having their other ends pivoted to said side plates, one above and the other below the axis of the disk on opposite sides thereof, whereby continuous rotary movement is im parted to the feeder-shaft by the oscillatory movements of said side plates in one direction only.

5. A variable speed mechanism for feeders or feeding and mixing machines connected in gangs, comprising a plurality of machines having rotary feeding devices and provided with alined shaft-bearings, one machine havinga main driving shaft thereon, a rock-shaft journaled in said alined bearings and having an upright arm adjacent each machine, an oscillating lever fulcrumed on each machine at the side or end thereof opposite said rock-shaft, a connecting link pivoted at one end to a crank-arm on said main driving shaft and at the other end to an adjacent oscillating lever, said lever carrying a vertically adjustable block and a screw for adjusting said block, a connecting rod or bar pivoted at one end to said block and at the other end to an oscillating arm on i said rock-shaft, and means for connecting each feeding device with the oscillating lever fulcrumed thereon, said means including a friction clutch on the feeder-shaft for imparting continuous rotary movement thereto; said clutch com prising a rotary element fixed On the feedershaft and oscillatory elements on opposite sides of said rotary element each provided with means for frictionally engaging said rotary element and alternately impelling it in the same direction; said means being adapted to instantaneously throw one of said oscillatory elements into action and the other out of action.

6. In combination, a group of machines for feeding and mixing grain or other stock, one machine having a main driving shaft thereon for imparting motion to the entire group, rotary feeding devices each adapted to deliver a given quantity of material at each rotation thereof, means on each machine, including a friction clutch on the feeder-shaft for varying the speed of rotation of the feeding device thereon, and mechanism on one machine for simultaneously varying the speed of all machines in the group without aflecting the proportions of material delivered by said feeding devices, said friction clutch being adapted to impart a positive and continuous rotary movement to the feeder-shaft; said clutch comprising a rotary element fixed on the feeder-shaft and oscillatory elements on opposite sides of said rotary element each provided with means for frictionally engaging said rotary element and alternately impelling it in the same direction; said means being adapted to instantaneously throw one of said oscillatory elements into action and the other out of action.

7. In combination with a group of rotary feeding devices, means for actuating said devices and for varying the speed of each feeder independently of the others, combined with mechanism for simultaneously varying the speed of the entire group Without chang ing the proportions to be fed thereby; said means and mechanism comprising an oscillating lever fulc-rumed on each machine at its lower end and having a plurality of arms each carrying a vertically slidable block, a rock-shaft journaled in alined hearings on the group of machines at the side or end thereof opposite said oscillating levers and having upright arms'arranged opposite said oscillating levers, a rod or bar pivoted at one end to one arm of said rock-shaft and Gil at the other end to one of said slidable blocks, a disk fixed on the feeder-shaft having oscillatory side plates and means associated therewith for rotating the disk continuously in one direction while permitting the oscillatory plates to move freely in a reverse direction, a pair of bars each pivoted at one end to one of said oscillatory plates, one above and the other below the center of the disk on opposite sides thereof and having their other ends pivoted to the other sliding block on the oscillating lever, said blocks having spaced apertured lugs and an adjusting screw for each block carried by the oscillating lever beside its upright arms and having a nut screwed thereon between the apertured lugs, for raising and lowering said blocks, substantially as'described.

8. A variable speed mechanism for feeders or feeding and'mixing machines connected in gangs, comp-rising a group of machines provided with feeding devices and alined shaft-bearings, a main driving shaft on one machine through which motion is imparted to the entire group, a rock-shaft journaled in said alined bearings and provided with an upright arm adjacent each machine, an upright by-a-rmed oscillating lever fulcrumed adjacent each machine at the side or end thereof opposite said roclcshaft, a connecting link pivoted at one end to a crank-arm on said driving shaft and at the other end to one arm of an adjacent oscillating lever, the last named lever having on one of its arms a vertically adjustable block and a screw for adjusting said block, a connecting rod or bar pivoted at one end to said block and at the other end to an upright arm on said rock-shaft, and variable speed mechanism for each feeder including a sliding block and screw for adjusting said block carried by another arm of the oscillating lever adjacent the feeder, and means connecting the feeder-shaft with said block, whereby a positive and continuous rotary movement is imparted to the feeding device; said means including a friction clutch on the feeder-shaft comprising a disk fixed upon and revoluble with the shaft, oscillatory plates on opposite sides of said disk each having a springpressed dog or pawl pivoted thereto with its free end in frictional contact with the disk so as to impart motion thereto in one direction only, and connecting rods or bars each pivoted at one end to one of said side plates, one above and the other below the axis of the disk on opposite sides thereof, and hav- 7 ing their other ends pivotedto the slidable block on the adjacent oscillating lever.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SIMON SNYDER. 

